Toddler's difficulty in sharing

Philippines
June 30, 2008 2:31pm CST
I wonder why do toddlers have such trouble with sharing? I have a 2 1/2 yrs old son and I've noticed that he has a problem sharing things with others (except for me, of course). I am the only person he would share what he has. But generally, toddlers are not developmentally ready to share. I guess, the reason why it's hard for them to share is they're still learning and finding themselves and part of that includes whay they are playing at the moment. So, don't force your toddler to share. instead, teach them how to take turns.
2 responses
Johnnypenn
@Johnnypenn (237)
• United States
30 Jun 08
No wonder you haven't gotten a reply to this, that last line made me roll my eyes! er - no offence, okay, let's look at this.... "Don't force your toddler to share. Instead, teach them how to take turns," -- That is SHARING! oaky, I'm not yelling at you, I can't figure out how to bold so I caps'ed it instead. First of all, everyone is taught how to share from an early age. Me, I might have been an only child for six and a half years, but my Mom had a day care center at home and I had to share most of my stuff with the other kids. So, I had to learn how to take turns early on in life. Secondly, taking turns and sharing are imparative to every day life.
marcroswell
@marcroswell (473)
• Philippines
30 Jun 08
johnnypenn, i think you've misunderstood that last line...of not forcing toddler to share...what i mean by that you can't force your toddler to share in jiffy. instead, you can teach him/her first to take turns. allow a child to finish using a toy and teach a child who wants it, "may i have it when you're finished?" This way both children learn something they need. one child learns to finish his/her play and feels a sense satisfaction. the other child learns to wait. both children learn how to talk to each other, growing in their ability to communicate.
latoyahall
@latoyahall (835)
• United States
30 Jun 08
I have a toddler and a waddler. They don't like to share. I play referee all day, it's a part time job...lol. So I think that my children the mentality that it is : My world. Population: 1 LMAO!